From Setback to Standout: LJ McCray Earns Comeback Player of the Week
Florida junior defensive lineman LJ McCray’s path to being named College Sports Communicators Comeback Player of the Week, after the Gators’ 27-24 upset at No. 7 Texas, was not an easy one. With Florida’s defense struggling and a road game against a top-10 team ahead, McCray faced a difficult stretch.
He answered with a career day. Entering the game with about 1.3 tackles per game, he recorded four tackles, including three solo stops and one assist, along with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, all career highs for those categories, helping the Gators to their largest comeback win against a ranked SEC opponent on the road. It was a breakthrough against one of the country’s top programs.
McCray, a Daytona Beach native from the 2024 class, arrived at Florida as a five-star recruit. As a freshman, he played in 10 games on the defensive line, recording 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks, flashing potential.
Injuries derailed that momentum. As a sophomore, he missed the latter half of training camp and the season opener with a lower-body injury. He made his 2025 debut against South Florida, but four plays later, he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
The injury was more than a physical setback. It was an emotional one, too.
“It definitely hurt me a lot,” McCray said. “I put my head down to work to get back, and then for that to happen four plays in, it hurt me a lot.”
McCray didn’t let the injuries define him and used the experience to grow mentally.
“I think it might have been needed for my development,” he said. “I had to grow up, mature and realize how bad I really wanted it.”
Heading into 2026 under a new coaching staff and working with strength and conditioning coach Rusty Whitt, McCray said he feels “way different, way stronger, more sturdy and more agile.” Through Florida’s first six games, he had eight tackles, six of them solo, and a sack.
After the win against Texas, coach Jon Sumrall recognized several defensive players who have stepped up in recent weeks. Among them was McCray.
“I felt LJ McCray last week at the end of the game, and then this week a lot more,” Sumrall said.
After his performance in Austin, McCray was named Comeback Player of the Week by the College Sports Communicators and SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He was also named to the College Football Comeback Player of the Year preseason watch list earlier this season.
Category: Gators Football
